Coldstream celebrates opening of new $6.9M Community Hall and childcare centre

Coldstream celebrated the opening of its new Community Hall on Friday.

The $6.9-million project was built on budget, says Mayor Ruth Hoyte, and features a 5,200-square-foot hall and 84-seat childcare centre, as well as meeting rooms and a commercial kitchen.

In total, the building measures about 14,000 square feet, said chief administrative officer Trevor Seibel as he guided visitors around the facility.

Seibel said the municipality is already receiving bookings for hall rentals, with two weddings booked for this year, one for next year, and more calls coming in daily.

The hall can hold a maximum of 300 people for a performance-type event and 200 for a wedding.

The childcare centre is operated by Maven Lane and will open June 1.

It's already close to capacity.

The building's entrance is flanked by massive timbers, and the entryway hall contains historical mementos of the Coldstream Women's Institute Hall, which was demolished to make way for the facility.

Some members of the institute attended the opening.

Huge bay doors at the back of the hall open out onto Cenotaph Park, making for a picturesque setting for weddings, celebrations and other community events.

Hoyte said the facility "will make a difference in the lives of Coldstream residents."

She called the finished product "beyond fabulous!"

MLA Harwinder Sandhu called the grand opening "very exciting" and praised the "magnificent building," which she predicted will "bring the community closer."

Coldstream received $5 million in federal and provincial grant funding towards the project.

The municipality estimates hall rental revenue of $30,000 to $40,000 a year.